Use of nitrogen-fixing organisms in agriculture or horticulture.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM .BEEGROFT BOTTOMLEY, DIE-LONDON, ENGLAND.

USE or NITROGEN-FIXING ORGANISMS IN AGRICULTURE on HoR'rIcUL'rUnE.

982,569. No Drawing To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, WILLIAM Bnnonorr BOI'IOMLEY, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Kings College, in the county of London, England, professor of botany, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements Relating to the Use of NitrogeniFixing Organisms 'in Agriculture or Horticulture, of which the following is a specification.

For increasing the growth of leguminous plants pure cultures of nitrogen-fixing organisms, removed from the root tubercles of various leguminous plants, and known as Psemlomonas radz'oz'cola, have been used with success. Such cultures are, however, of no value for non-leguminous plants, and the attempt has been made to increase the growth of such plants by treating them with cultures of the aerobic organisms, known to fix free atmospheric nitrogen, which exist in ordinary cultlvated soil. These organisms, called azotobacter, have proved, however,

to have little or no effect in the desired di rection.

I have discovered that a mixed culture of organisms containin pseudomonas and amtobaeter has a very )cneticial effect on nonleguminous plants, enhancing their growth to a considerable extent.

My invention consists in the application ef this discovery and for this purpose I prepare a mixed culture of the organisms in question, and when desirable distribute the mixed culture through a suitable sterilized subdivided material for convenience of transport and application in agriculture and horticulture. t

One mode of carrying out the invention consists in preparing on the one hand a pure culture of pseudomonas in any known manner, and on the other hand a culture of amtobacter, for instance by adding ordinary cultivated soil to a culture medium consisting ofa solution in 1 liter of water of 20 grams of mannite, 1 gram of monobasic potassium phosphate and t gram of magnesium sulfate, to which l gram of calcium carbonate has been added, ltlll )\'lll, some ot the brown scunrwbn'h appears on th-c lnpnd in some 7 to It) dn \'s and cultivating it on successive agar plates containing a culture medium of the l'orcgoing composition. A drop removed with the usual bacteriological Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 27, 1910. Serial No. 557,949.-

Patented an. 24:, 1911.

precautions from each culture is mixed with a little distilled water, and the mixture of organisms thus obtained is added to a culture medium which may consist for example of a solution in 1 liter of water of 15 grams of maltose, 10 grams of m nnite, 1 gram of monobasic potassium phos hate and gram of magnesium sulfate. hen this medium, inoculated with the organisms is kept at 22-28 C., the growth is rapid and will generally prove sufficient in from 36 to 48 hours. The milky liquid thus produced may be used for moistemng seeds or it'ma-y be diluted with water and used for watering plants.

lVhen the organisms are to be transported, finely sifted soil, ground peat or any like substance containin organlc matter may be dried and sterilized and then impregnated with the milky liquid. The moistened material is then dried at a low temperature such as 3040 (3., and aftentransport may be applied directly to the soil or mixed witli water to yield a liquid for use as already stated. In some cases when it is desirable to transport a more concentrated form of the culture there is added to the culture medium in which the mixed organisms are to be grown about 2 per cent. of agar, so that a solid culture is produced.

Having thus described the nature of my said invention and the best means I know of carrying the same into practical effect, I claim 1. A method of increasing the growth of non-legun'linous plants, whlch consists in treating them with a mixed culture of or ganisms obtained from the root. tubercles of leguminous plants and aerobic organisms capable of fixing nitrogen and obtainable from the soil; substantially as described.

A method of increasing the growth of non--leguminmis plants, which consists in treating them with a mixed culture of pseudomonas and azotobacter substantially as described.

El. A process of nun-easing the growth of non-leguminous plants, which consists in growing pseudomonas and azotobaeter togethcr in a medium containing maltose, mannite, monobasic potassium phosphate and magnesium sulfate and applying the mixed culture to the plants; substantially as described.

4. A prdcess of producing a fertilizer for name to this specification in the presence of nonlegununous plants, wlnch conslsts 1n pretwo subscrlbmg wltnesses.

paring a pure culture of pseudomorme and a, 1 pure culture of azotobaeter and nnxlng the WILLIAM BEEGROIT L 5 pure cultures in a culture medium adapted Witnesses:

for their joint reproduction. JOSEPH MILLARD,

In testimony whereof I have signed my \VALTER J. SKERTEN. 

